


Werewolf Buddies

by rose_gardens



Series: Twilight But It's Yumikuri [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Twilight Fusion, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Eren is a part of the Ackerman family by adoption, F/F, Gen, Healthier Than Twilight, Human/Vampire Relationship, Just Friends, Lack of Communication, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager Are Siblings, Platonic Affection, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Still a better love story than Twilight, Team as Family, Teen Angst, Temporary Breakup, Useless Lesbian Vampire, i can't believe that's a tag, mild transphobia in chap 7, respecting boundaries, the wall goddesses/ymir's daughters are the volturi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:01:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 20,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21801358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_gardens/pseuds/rose_gardens
Summary: Historia's living the best life you can - she's living with her caring uncle, school is fine, her girlfriend is hot (and not to mention, a vampire). But that changes when Ymir has to leave town, leaving Historia in a depressive state. Her friend Eren helps her out, but damn it, is everyone in Paradis a supernatural being?
Relationships: Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss & Eren Yeager, Krista Lenz | Historia Reiss/Ymir, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Twilight But It's Yumikuri [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1570978
Comments: 26
Kudos: 38





	1. Nightmare

In Historia's dream, she was running. She knew that she had to get to the chapel - the chapel? What was the chapel? - But she needed to get there, because that was where... what was happening? What did she have to stop? 

She tried to run, but her goal was getting further and further away from her. She held out a hand, reaching for her goal - 

And she opened her front door. On the other side stood her grandmother. Historia smiled, and her grandmother smiled too. Grandma Reiss had been dead for years, so she was happy to see her. 

"Hey Nana," she said with a smile. Her grandmother said something back, but Historia couldn't hear her. 

"It's been a while since we've talked," Historia continued. "I'm living with my uncle now. I nearly died last year, and - oh!"

Ymir appeared in the dream. She was glowing the way she did in the sun. Historia's grandmother didn't seem to mind, however.

"Um, Nan, this is my girlfriend, Ymir. I know you're thinking, wow, my granddaughter's a lesbian, and yes, and also Ymir's a vampire. It's not conventional, by any standards, but I love her and we make it work."

Her grandmother spoke silently again. 

"Nana, I can't hear you. Is something wrong?" 

It was then that Historia noticed the gilded frame around her grandmother. She blinked, and her grandmother blinked to. She waved, and her grandmother mirrored. Mirrored. That wasn't her grandmother, that was her. Ymir remained the same, but Historia had grown old. 

She awoke with a start.

6 AM, the time on her clock read. Historia checked her reflection in the mirror above her dresser, and sighed in relief. She looked just the same as she always did, even if she was a day older.

Historia sat up and stretched, hearing something fall to the floor. She looked over her bed to see a wrapped gift with an envelope attached, and picked it up. 

_Happy 17th birthday Chris!_ The envelope read. She opened it to read the card Frieda had gotten her. It was a simple thing, but it made Historia smile. She propped it up on her nightstand, and opened the present. 

Inside was a book. _Carmilla_ , it was called. About a lesbian vampire. _How fitting._

Historia went downstairs for breakfast. Uri sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a newspaper.

"Good morning!" Historia said cheerfully. She went into the kitchen and poured her own cup, pushing down the toast in the toaster. 

"You seem to be in a good mood," Uri said. Historia sat down at the table with him, and drank her coffee. She winced, not expecting the bitter taste. Uri smiled. "I called Mikasa around last night. She put new tires on the truck. Happy birthday."

"Oh, thank you!" Historia said. She finished her breakfast and grabbed her school bag, heading outside. "Goodbye!"

She jumped into her car, and headed to school. She was greeted immediately by Ymir, her vampire girlfriend.

"Hey, babe," Ymir said, greeting her with a kiss. "Happy birthday."

Historia smiled. "Thank you."

Ymir slung an arm around her as they walked into school. "I was thinking you should come over to my place tonight," she said. 

"Really?" Historia asked. "Are you going to..."

Historia was going to ask if Ymir was planning on changing her into a vampire, but never got to because somebody small jumped from the stairs into their path. 

"Happy birthday," Annie, Ymir's adopted vampire sister, said flatly. She handed Historia a tiny wrapped box. "Reiner said to give you this."

"Thank you," Historia said yet again. She opened the present to see a new pair of earphones. "Are Bert and Reiner back?"

Bertholt and Reiner were the other members of Ymir's family. They had graduated the year before and were having a gap year overseas. 

Annie didn't answer the question. She was gone before Historia looked up. Annie wasn't exactly a social person. Historia barely even saw her at school anymore, as Ymir sat with Historia's friend group. 

"Oh, so _Reiner_ gets to give you a present but I can't?" Ymir teased. 

"Ymir, we all know that if you were allowed to get me a present you'd end up buying me a boat or something," Historia said jokingly.

"Oh, I wouldn't go _that_ overboard," Ymir said. Historia hit her arm jokingly. "Anyway, come over tonight."

Historia sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll come around to your house tonight," she said finally. Ymir smiled at her, and kissed her on the cheek. 

This year, the two girls shared an English class. They were doing a unit on Romeo and Juliet this semester, and Ymir had frequently addressed her disapproval of the play. 

"It's just so boring," Ymir said. "Blah blah, true love. And they kill themselves because they think the other is dead. God, learn some communication skills!"

Ymir had been granted with a sore mouth after saying god's name, but that hadn't stopped her from talking. It was quite comedic, actually, listening to her rant while she sounded like she was keeping a frog in her mouth.

"And why can't we study an interesting text? Highschool English is all _Hamlet_ this, _Romeo and Juliet_ that. Why not _Titus Andronicus?_ I'd kill to study that one."

"Yes, well, not everyone has had a hundred years to read Shakespeare," Historia said. The teacher entered the room soon after and forced their conversation to end. 

"Today I thought we should watch the 1968 version," the teacher said. The class jeered when the teacher handed out worksheets to go along with it. After ten minutes of the teacher not knowing how to connect his computer to the projector, the film started. They only squeezed in half of it that lesson before it ended, and they had to go home. 

Ymir was still ranting about the play when they left class, prompting Historia to butt in.

"Weren't you prepared to kill yourself last year?" Historia asked. She'd heard the story from Annie once or twice, usually when the sisters had an argument. 

"If anything happened to you, then I would have. But that's different, because you would have actually died and Romeo didn't check to see if Juliet was actually dead before downing poison. I'm different. I would have gone to Italy and drawn dicks on the Sisters' throne room floor or something and get smote."

"The sisters?" Historia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, they're like, vampire royalty. Massive losers. I hate them." Ymir shoved her hands in her pockets. "Anyway, see you at seven."

Historia waved her off as she got into her car, and drove home.


	2. Surprise Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia goes to the Fritzes' house for her birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update. Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!

"To the Fritzes' house?" Uri asked. 

"Yes. I promise I'll be safe," Historia said. "I won't go anywhere else but there."

"Fine, but be back by ten at the latest. It's a school night."

Uri was... distrustful of Ymir and her family, to say the least. A good chunk of that was due to when Historia had broken up with Ymir, run away and broke her leg, then were immediately back together. It would look fishy to an outsider, wouldn't it? Another contributing factor was Uri's boyfriend Kenny. The Ackerman family had a long-lasting grudge against the Fritzes, and may be in on the vampire thing as well.

With her uncle's permission, Historia ran upstairs to get changed. She threw on a pale pink sundress that she had had no real chance to wear in Paradis yet, along with a fuchsia cardigan she'd bought. She'd shaved all over, and clipped her nails, and brushed her teeth twice, and worn a cologne that had been gifted to her by one of her brothers. He'd assured her that it was a "100% pussy magnet," which, admittedly, was a much better reaction to finding out she was a lesbian than the disapproving glare her father had given her when he'd walked in on Historia and Ymir kissing in the hospital last year. She had hoped that the incident might have forced Rod to put aside his prejudices and realise that Uri being gay didn't change him from being his brother and childhood best friend, but alas, Rod's conservative views still remained. If anything, though, it had given Historia reason to stay in Paradis. 

Cologne on, Historia went downstairs to wait until it was time for her to leave. 

Outside, a car pulled up. It was a car Historia recognised as the one Eren drove; he'd gotten his license earlier this year. She went outside to greet him.

"Hey," she said. Eren waved back. He was still relatively emo, wearing a t-shirt for some obscure metal band, but one thing Historia had noticed was that he'd grown out his hair. It reached his ears now. 

"Um, happy birthday," Eren said. He handed her a knitted beanie. 

"Did you make this?" Historia asked, examining the stitchwork. "Thank you so much."

"Yeah, I did. I've been getting into like, clothes making and stuff because it's really the only way I can be useful around home. My grades are slipping, and - I'm sorry. I didn't mean to spill my life story." He laughed, and ran a hand through his hair nervously. He looked down at the clothes Historia was wearing. "Are you going out?"

Historia nodded. "To Ymir's place. I have a feeling she's planned something for my birthday."

An expression crossed Eren's face, but she couldn't figure out what it was. "Well, have fun," he said. "I'm wanted back home, so, uh, I'll see you around."

"Bye," Historia said, as Eren got in his car and drove off. 

Time passed extraordinarily slowly. Historia even washed the dishes that had been piling up for three days, that was how restless she was. When it came time to leave, she was straight out the door and into her truck. She had to restrain herself to stop herself from driving over the speed limit. The last thing she wanted was to get pulled over on her birthday. 

She pulled up outside the Fritzes' mansion in the woods at 6:49, eleven minutes early, went up to the door, and knocked. 

The door opened almost immediately, Dina, Ymir's adoptive mother, smiling at her. 

"Happy birthday," she said. She was wearing a blue cocktail dress, and Historia suddenly felt very underdressed. She smiled awkwardly, and entered the house.

She was greeted with a loud noise that turned out to be from party blowers. Streamers were haphazardly strung around the lounge room, and a happy birthday banner hung from the ceiling. The four Fritz kids stood in the middle, each of them looking like they were going to a different party. Ymir was dressed in a dress shirt and pants, admittedly with no shoes; Reiner had a brightly coloured hawaiian shirt and those giant party sunglasses; Bertholt, who was standing awkwardly off to the side, had a sweater on that was slightly nicer than the one he normally wore, and had his hair combed. Annie was wearing the exact same hoodie she always wore.

"Thank you so much," Historia said. There were tears in her eyes. "Nobody's ever thrown me a birthday party before."

"Well, It'll be the first of many to come," Ymir said, slinging an arm around her. She kissed the side of Historia's face. 

Nobody picked up on the way Ymir had said that last comment save for Historia. She knew what it meant. Ymir had been dead set on keeping Historia's heart beating.

"I'm so happy to see you guys," Historia said. Bertholt waved at her, and Reiner walked over to give her a hug.

"It's good to be back, too," he said. "I'm glad you like the gift I got you."

"Oh, I just broke my headphones yesterday, how did you know?" Historia said, teasingly. Reiner winked. "How was your trip?"

"Yeah, tell us about the trip, you haven't said shit yet," Ymir said, pushing Reiner off her girlfriend.

"Oh, it was great," Bertholt said. "Um, we had our fourth wedding-"

"Fourth?" Historia exclaimed. 

"You got married again and didn't tell us?" Ymir cried.

"Well, we wanted to do something different this time around," Bertholt said in a defensive tone.

"So we tied the knot in a Chick-fil-A carpark," Reiner said cheerfully. Historia gave him a high five.

Annie held out a box. "This is the other gift," she said. "From all of us."

"Thank you," Historia said, taking it. It was large, yet light. She opened it to see that it was a box for a car radio.

"Your car hasn't been upgraded in what, thirty years? We got a new radio. Of course, if I'd had my way, you'd have a whole new car," Ymir said.

"And I've told you, I like my car. It has character."

"Babe, it's _this_ close to breaking down."

Bertholt butted in. "If you want, I can go install the radio now," he offered.

"No, stay," Dina said. She leaned against a side table. Historia had never seen the woman this happy before. "It's so good to have you around, Historia. We haven't had a proper party in decades."

Historia smiled, and another gift was thrust into her hands. It was small, and she expected it to be a giftcard or similar. She stuck a fingernail under the sticky tape to undo it, but since she'd cut them earlier it was hard for her to do so. 

"Ow," she mumbled. "Paper cut."

A tiny drop of blood welled up in the cut. The rest of the family went silent, and she looked up to see Bertholt staring intently at the drop, pupils dilating. Time unfroze, and Ymir pushed Historia backwards as she went to tackle her brother. This, however, only made things worse as she fell into one of their minimalist glass coffee tables, cutting her arms.

She looked up to see the eyes of five hungry vampires staring at her.


	3. The Heir and the Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dina tells her Tragic Backstory.

Historia was well prepared to say goodbye to her life once and for all, but a pair of hands lifted her up and dragged her upstairs. Dina. Of course, being the eldest, she would have had the most control of all of them. 

She took Historia into an office, and closed the door. Historia was sat down on a couch and Dina pulled a pair of tweezers from a draw.

"Hold out your arm," Dina said, and started to extract the glass.

"I'm sorry," Historia said. 

"Don't be. Nobody could have predicted that would happen. Except Reiner. But the fact that he never saw anything like this means that it was all going to end up okay." She smiled. 

Historia looked around at the decoration of the office. There were some... odd choices of paintings. Many had religious importance, but the centerpiece was a ballroom scene. Three young women sat on thrones, while many couples danced on the floor. 

"You're looking at the paintings?" Dina asked. Historia nodded. 

"Who is that? In the ballroom?"

Dina sighed. "The Sisters. Some say that they were the original vampires - that by devouring the corpse of their godly mother and committing the sin of cannibalism, they were cursed to live as creatures of the night. Who knows if that's true. They've been undead longer than most of us."

She stood up, having taken out the last piece of glass from Historia's arm. She rummaged through the draw and pulled out a bottle of what looked like wine. "This may sting a bit," she warned, then poured it over her arm. And she was right, it did sting; but it was nothing on the venom that had been injected into her forearm by Irine the year prior. 

After she was sure the arm had been disinfected, Dina rolled bandages around it. "My husband was a doctor," she explained. 

"I'm sorry," Historia said again.

"Why are you apologising?" Dina asked, looking up from her work.

"Oh, well, about your husband," Historia said. "I heard that he died. Ymir told me."

"Oh, Ymir told you, did she?" Dina said in a tone that implied Ymir was an unreliable source. "He isn't - well, he is dead, but my ex-husband is a vampire too."

Historia sat in a more comfortable position, cradling her arm. Dina walked towards the painting, fingers hovering over one of the dancing couples.

"We were married young," Dina said, and Historia knew she was going into backstory mode. "He was a brilliant doctor, I was the daughter of a nobleman, and we eloped together. We had a son not too long after that. But our idyllic lives could only last so long.

"Zeke was out when it happened, thank the lord for that. A vampire broke into our home and kidnapped us. When we woke up, we were in their basement. As catering for their party. Every few hours they'd come downstairs and take some of our blood. I don't know how long we were down there, but I know that we were on the verge of death. I suppose their party ended because the host came downstairs, where we were, and..." 

Tears welled in her eyes. "And turned me. That was the clearest moment of my life, the pain. For most of us, it's the same - except for Reiner. He doesn't remember being a human at all. But I'm getting off topic. I remember waking up as a vampire and being so hungry. There was blood right in front of me, even if it was just a little."

Historia listened intently. "And you... killed your husband?"

"I drank from him. I suppose I must have injected my venom, because he turned as well. We managed to overpower our captor - newborn vampires are exceptionally strong - but we had a falling out. Grisha knew we needed to leave the city, so we wouldn't be killed, but I wanted to go back to get Zeke. To bring him with us. Grisha didn't want to. He said it would put him in danger. He wasn't sure if we would be able to stop ourselves from hurting him. We fought, but eventually I gave in and we left. We fed on animals and lived just outside towns until we found them. The Sisters."

She moved, and Historia could see that the couple Dina had been gazing at longingly looked an awful lot like Dina and her husband from the photograph in the hall. 

"We joined their coven and they gave us their protection," Dina continued. "However, things were not meant to last. We were stuck in an unhappy marriage, ruined after losing Zeke. And the Sisters did not have the respect for human life that we did. Grisha was the first to leave, and I followed soon after. I had meant to find him, but I couldn't. So I... wandered. Alone. I looked for our son, and I found him. He was all grown up, and I... I turned him. I turned my son into a monster, just as Grisha had feared."

Dina paused. Historia shuffled over and held her hand. 

"He doesn't like to talk to me," she said with a teary laugh. "Obviously. I found Ymir not too long after that. She didn't have a name at the time. She'd been abandoned on the street as a baby. I was the first person to show her kindness, and she gave me permission to change her when she was dying. Not long after that we found Zeke again, and the coven he'd made."

"So there are other members of your family?" Historia asked. Ymir had only mentioned her siblings in Paradis.

Dina nodded. "They live in the north," she said. "The next time we have to move, we'll move in with them again."

"You have a lot of control," Historia said, about her bandaged arm.

"Practice," Dina said. She patted Historia on the back and smiled. "They should have cleaned up out there by now."

Historia nodded, and stood up. "Thank you," she said, before leaving the room.


	4. Improper Goodbyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ymir and Historia have a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last thing I post this decade... see you guys in 2020!

Ymir was standing directly behind the door, and immediately got in Historia's face.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, are you okay? Historia, baby, tell me if you're okay," she said.

"I'm fine," Historia said. "Can I go home now?"

Ymir kissed her on the forehead, and guided her downstairs. They passed Ymir's siblings; Reiner was comforting Bertholt, while Annie stood off to the side. She gave them a glare when they passed.

"So tonight was fun," Ymir said sarcastically, getting in the driver's seat of Historia's truck. Historia didn't answer. She just sat, arms folded, staring blankly out the front window.

They sat in silence on the way home. Historia noticed that the car radio hadn't been installed yet, so she'd have to come back around some other day.

The lights were on when they got home, but it was fully dark. Ymir turned the car off, and they sat together. The tension was thick.

"Thank you for taking me home," Historia said quietly. She unclipped her seat belt, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to meet Ymir's desperate gaze.

"I'm sorry. For messing things up back there."

Silence. "It's still my birthday," Historia said. "I know what you can give me."

"I'm not turning you."

"I know." Historia put her hands in her lap. "Can I kiss you?"

Ymir leaned over, and their lips met. It was the briefest of kisses, lasting only a few seconds, leaving Historia wanting more. But Ymir pulled away, and got out of the car. Historia followed.

"I'll see you at school," Historia said. Ymir just blinked sadly, then disappeared into the night. 

\--

Historia didn't need the bandage the following morning, and so discarded it in the bin. She was significantly mellower this morning, far more so than the previous.

"So, how was last night?" Uri asked. "Or is this something I'm not supposed to ask about?"

"No, it's fine," Historia said. "Ymir's family threw me a party. We, uh, got a little crazy, but I'm safe, I promise."

Uri frowned, but said no more. 

\--

The incident at the party seemed to have driven a wedge between Ymir and Historia. They sat together, as usual, but there was a stiffness in all their interactions. Historia wasn't sure what it was at first, but then it hit her. Ymir was deliberately keeping her distance from her.

"You don't have to do that," Historia said, after class one day. "I trust you. I know you wouldn't hurt me."

Ymir had looked at her with heartbroken eyes. "But I don't know that."

Ymir didn't get any better during the week. In fact, she only seemed to get more distant. Historia put on a smile and invited Ymir to the group's next get-together, but Ymir declined solemnly. 

On Friday afternoon, Historia broke down. 

"I can't take it any more!" She cried. "Ymir, you're killing me. Please, just talk to me!"

Ymir recoiled at the word "kill". 

"I'm doing this for your sake, Historia," she said. "I don't want to hurt you. I'm so much stronger than you, I could easily break you if I'm not careful."

"If I get hurt by being close to you, then so be it!" Historia snapped.

"Well I don't want you to get hurt! How about you think about my feelings in this matter!"

"I am!" Historia felt like stamping her foot, but she knew Ymir would just laugh at her. "You need to think about my feelings too."

"I think about your feelings all the time!" Ymir looked like she was going to stamp her foot as well. 

Historia's hands curled into fists. "Fine!" She said, turning around and storming towards her car. She drove home, angry the whole time. Uri didn't have time to ask her how her day went, because she went upstairs, slammed the door, and cried into her pillow.

Uri understood not to intrude on his niece's privacy, and left her alone. That turned out to be good, as Historia soon heard a gentle tapping on her window. She looked up, eyes red from crying, and walked over to the window. Someone had been throwing pebbles at it from below, and looking down into the driveway revealed Ymir. Historia made eye contact with her. Ymir looked like she was going to apologise, so Historia went downstairs to meet her.

"Are you okay?" Uri asked. He was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. 

Historia nodded. "I'm heading out. I'll be back before dinner."

Uri understood, and let her pass. Once Ymir saw Historia was following her, she turned and headed into the woods. 

They walked for a while, until they were far away from any roads. Ymir turned to face Historia. Her face was streaked with tears as well.

"I'm sorry," Historia said. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"I understand. I'm - I'm sorry too. I was unfair." For once in her life, Ymir sounded like she meant it. "The party... isn't the only thing on my mind."

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Historia asked. Ymir looked away.

"We're leaving town," Ymir said. "Dina's meant to be ten years older than she looks. People are starting to suspect."

Historia's heart dropped. "I'll - I'll make up something to tell Uri. That when you moved I was offered a scholarship at your school, or something, and-" she paused, seeing the heartbroken look on Ymir's face. "When you say we, you mean..."

"Just my family." Ymir's face was grim. 

"No." Historia was on the verge of tears. "Please. At least - can't you at least wait until graduation? Give me your new number, or something. Please, Ymir, don't leave."

She wasn't on the verge of tears anymore. She was fully crying now. Ymir just looked guilty. She closed her eyes, and turned around. "Promise me this."

Historia waited. 

"Please, don't do anything reckless. Don't give up your life waiting for me. Move on. Be happy. Go to college, become a lawyer and get married. I love you. Goodbye."

"Ymir, wait-" 

Historia blinked, and Ymir was gone. Historia didn't see Ymir trying to keep her tears in, nor did she even get a proper goodbye.

"I love you," Historia said, tears choking her.

And she curled up under a tree, and wished for the ground to split open and swallow her whole.


	5. "Reckless"

Historia wasn't sure if she was awake or dreaming.

In front of her was a pair of glowing eyes. They were grey, with a violet twinge. The owner of the eyes walked closer to her, and Historia noticed that they belonged to a large black wolf. The eyes didn't look like wolf eyes, though. They had a humanlike intelligence.

Historia didn't remember what happened after that. She felt two strong arms holding her, and felt the beating of a heart against someone's breast. She didn't worry. She felt safe.

_What a nice dream._

\--

Uri sat on the front porch, staring straight ahead and twisting the towel in his hands. Kenny sat by his side, a comforting hand on his back. 

On the lawn, a police car was parked. Nile Dok, police chief, was checking places off a map of the surrounding area. Levi Ackerman, Kenny's adult nephew, stood next to him. Nile felt uncomfortable. It was no secret that Levi detested him. 

"She can't have gone far," Nile said. He looked over to the lawn, where one of Levi's kids (Eren, was it?) sat. He had a similar look on his face to Uri. His radio buzzed, and he picked it up. 

_"She's not with her girlfriend, I checked. The Fritzes left town before she went missing. Over."_

"Good riddance," Levi muttered. Nile ignored it. 

"Try calling them. If anyone knows where she is, they would. Out."

Nile put the radio back. "Where the hell is she?"

Nile saw Eren stand up and move, but he didn't see what he'd reacted to until Levi kicked him in the shin. Nile looked over the road to see one of Levi's other kids, (Mikasa?) carrying Historia in her arms. Nile narrowed his eyes when he noticed that Mikasa was shirtless. None of the others seemed to care, however. Eren was the first to her side, asking if Historia was alright. 

"She's fine," Mikasa assured. "Just sleeping."

Levi was the next to her side. He whispered something to her, and she shook her head. That seemed odd, but Nile didn't get a chance to ask anything before Uri was there, taking his niece in his arms. The Ackermans looked at each other grimly. Something was up with that family.

\--

Ymir really was gone. She and Annie weren't at school. When Historia drove to the Fritzes' house, it was totally empty. 

As if they had never been there at all. 

Historia spent most of her time in her room. Ymir had just left after their fight - seemingly taking Historia's passion with her.

In her melancholy, Historia had taken to sending Reiner emails. He never answered, but Historia felt some solace in venting to somebody.

_I'm lost, Reiner. I never even got to give Ymir a proper goodbye. If you see this, tell her I love her._

_My grades have started dropping. I'm trying to study, but I can't concentrate. Every time I try my mind wanders to wherever you guys could be. Tell Ymir I love her._

_I got asked out today. I feel like I can't date her, because I'm still in love with Ymir. Please ask her to talk to me, even if it is just so we can officially break up. If she wants me to move on, then she should at least try and help me do so._

It took Uri three months to intervene. Kenny had pushed him into it, as he often did. One afternoon, while Historia was writing an email, he made an offer.

"Do you have a friend at school? Anyone?" He asked. Historia looked up from her laptop screen, confused.

"I guess so," she said, thinking of her group at school. She'd barely spoken to them since Ymir had left.

"Well, I want you to go out. I'll give you money for a movie ticket, or two movie tickets even, if you'll just get out of the house and do something."

Historia stared at him. It was a seductive offer, and made with good intentions.

"Okay. I'll go to the movies with a friend."

\--

Historia ended up inviting Sasha to go with her to the movies. They picked a zombie film, one that Sasha had been raving about for weeks. It didn't interest Historia that much, but leaving the house felt... good. 

"That movie was _not_ good," Sasha said, as they left the theatre. "Like, not to compare it to _Gore Evening_ , but even though _Gore Evening's_ special effects are really old and you can see how they did it, it still looks gross, you know? But this film's special effects are just. CGI messes. Like, did they make this in 2008? It looks disgusting, and not in the good way. Plus, _Gore Evening_ has a really intriguing plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but this movie had, like, nothing. Oh yeah, and the romance? It was just shoehorned in there! Why can't we go five minutes without straight nonsense, or at least have them wait until they were safe before they started kissing? Like, if they moved the kiss and confession to the end when they were in the helicopter, it would have been climactic and also romantic, you know? But this movie was just trying to be too many things at once. I know my dad always says you should never put all your eggs in one basket, but if you only put one egg in every basket then you'll just make it hard on yourself. God, I really hope they don't make a sequel-"

Historia wasn't listening to Sasha's ranting. She pretended, and nodded along every now and then, but her attention was caught by the gang of bikies over outside the pub. Her stomach churned, because they looked exactly like the men who had cornered her that night when Ymir saved her life - and then Historia was thinking about Ymir again, and her night was ruined. 

Actually, those men looked nothing like the ones who had attempted to assault her. One of them called a passing by woman over, and she hopped on the back of his bike while they went for a ride. 

Historia took a step towards them. Sasha didn't notice, as she was too caught up in her rant-review. 

_"Historia."_

She looked around. She could have sworn she'd heard Ymir's voice just then.

She took another step towards the bikies, and there it was again.

_"I told you not to put yourself in danger. Stop it. Leave them."_

"Hey, are you okay?" Sasha had noticed the blank look on Historia's face.

"Yeah, I just... could have sworn I heard someone," she answered. 

"Well, come on. Those bikies look like bad news. Let's get out of here."

Historia nodded, and followed Sasha to her car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!


	6. Minecraft And Chill But Like, They Just Chill And There's No Sex

_Something weird happened to me the other night. I thought I heard Ymir's voice in my head, which either means that I'm hallucinating or Ymir is fucking with me. Can you tell her to leave me alone? Because if she wants me to move on, then projecting her voice into my head is the worst way to do it._

_Uri is forcing me to be social, which I guess is great. I'm going to the Ackermans' place today. They're the guys who don't like you. Wish me luck!_

Historia pulled her car up in the driveway of the Ackerman house. It was an old two-storey building with a large surrounding area. The garage door was open, and Historia could see two people in there, standing over an opened car hood.

"Hand me the spanner," Mikasa said. She was wearing a tank top that showed off her muscular arms. Ash, her blue haired sister, handed her a drill. She gave Ash a glare. "I said the _spanner_."

Ash looked up from her phone. "Oh. Sorry. Hey, Historia's here."

Historia waved kindly. "Hey, is, uh, is Eren here?"

Mikasa turned around, and flipped her hair. "He's upstairs," she said, in her cool voice. Historia nodded. Mikasa went back to the car, Ash went back to her phone.

Historia went inside the Ackerman house. The entryway had a staircase in it, and two doorways on either side. One lead into a lounge room, the other into a kitchen. Historia took the stairs.

Upstairs, on the landing, she noted an ajar door. She could see someone in it, and knocked. There was no response. She pushed open the door.

Eren was sitting in the room, on the floor by his bed. His eyes were trained on an old analogue TV in front of him, to which a controller was attached. And he was only wearing boxers.

He noticed the door opening, and processed the situation quickly.

"Shit!" He shouted, at the same time Historia shouted "oh my god!" and spun away.

"I'm so sorry, holy shit," she said, trying to get the image out of her head.

"It's fine, just let me put on a shirt."

Eren opened the door a second later, a stained t-shirt thrown on.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," he said.

"I'm sorry I didn't knock louder," Historia said with an awkward laugh. "I'm not too scarred, I've seen way worse."

Eren laughed too. "Um, do you want to come in? I have a second controller."

"Oh, sure," Historia said. Eren opened the door, and let her in. His room was a mess, with dirty clothes strewn everywhere.

"How are you living in this?" Historia asked, moving a pair of jeans off Eren's bed and sitting down.

"Levi hasn't come in here for months," he said.

"Actually, my room isn't much better," Historia said. At the thought of her room's state, she felt unwell. Ymir's departure had left her in a terrible state.

"So, uh, I have a few games on here," Eren said. "Minecraft?"

Historia nodded. "I love Minecraft."

"Oh, good." Eren threw a spare controller in her direction, and she caught it. "So uh, I'm sorry about your breakup."

Historia felt the pit in her stomach grow. "That's okay."

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. Historia paused. She guessed she probably should talk about Ymir - but there was the fact that the Fritzes were the only people who knew about vampires, and they weren't answering.

"Sure," Historia said, as she punched a tree in-game. "Well, for starters, we had a fight the night of my party."

"Mhm. Do you want to build a base here, or like, by the ocean or something?"

"Definitely ocean base. We fought, because I wanted to go further in the relationship, but she didn't want that because she's obsessed with my "purity" or whatever."

"Virginity doesn't even mean anything anyway," Eren said. Historia nodded, pretending that that was the reason they'd fought. "But you should totally respect her boundaries."

"I did," Historia said. "And I would have. We didn't fight about premarital sex, we fought because she treats me like I'm fragile and that I couldn't _handle_ premarital sex. Anyway, after that they had to leave town because of their mother's work. And now she won't talk to me."

"You know what?" Eren said, laying the foundations of their base on top of a hill near a beach. "Ymir's a jerk. She doesn't deserve you."

"Yeah, that's right," Historia confirmed. "She _is_ a jerk."

"You can do so much better," Eren said. "If you want, I know heaps of single girls who'd probably be your type."

"Oh, I'm not really looking for a new girlfriend yet," Historia said. "I mean, this is my first breakup and all."

Secretly, a part of Historia longed for Ymir to come back. She missed her tall vampire girlfriend.

"Sorry," Eren said. "But if you ever need help with a relationship, I'll gladly talk it out with you."

Somebody knocked on the door, and Ash peered her head in. 

"Levi told me to say dinner's ready," she said. 

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Eren asked, turning to Historia. She nodded. "Ash, go tell Levi to set an extra place."

Ash grimaced. "You do it. When was the last time you cleaned your room?"

"Get out!" Eren shouted. Ash laughed, and left. "Close the damn door!"

He paused the game and stood up, slamming the door shut. Historia stared at him in shock.

"You talk to your sister like that?" She asked. Eren couldn't help but smile. 

"Yeah, that's just how siblings are," he said with a shrug. He looked back to the door. "Wanna go get dinner?"

"Sure, why not." Historia got up off the bed, and they went downstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want you guys to know that while I do live in Australia, I'm safe from the bushfires. We won't have to evacuate any time soon, even though there is a lot of smoke. I hope any other Australian readers stay safe as well.


	7. Wolf Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia and Eren hang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some mild transphobia! Also don't out your friends it's shitty

The kitchen/dining room was filled with people, possibly more people than Historia had ever seen in one room before.

"Are you having a family reunion?" Historia asked. Eren shook his head.

"No, we just have a lot of people who live here."

They pushed their way through the crowd until they came to a bench, where Levi was standing. He gave them a glare.

"Do you have any allergies?" He asked. Historia shook her head. "Okay."

A plate of lasagne was pushed towards her, and Eren dragged her to an empty seat at the crowded table. They sat next to a tall man who gave Eren a nod. He scrunched his nose and stared at Historia. He narrowed his eyes, and left the table.

"Um, who was that?" She asked, turning to Eren.

"That's Mike. He's always like that." Eren shrugged.

"It looked like he was... smelling me." Memories of Irine, the vampire who had hunted her last year, surfaced in Historia's mind. Often vampires had talked about her blood smelling "irresistible" or whatever.

"Like I said, he's a weirdo. Pretty much all of the adults here are."

Eren looked up when Armin took Mike's seat. Historia gave him a wave, and he smiled back.

"I love Saturday night dinners like this," Armin said, a fork in his own lasagne. He looked different from the last time she'd seen him. His hair was shorter, but definitely still a bowl cut. "It's nice to see the whole pack in one place. It feels like a really big family."

"So like, you guys all live together?" Historia asked. Eren nodded.

"Kind of," Armin said. "We all come over to the house on Saturdays for dinner, but we mainly live in our own homes. Some of us are on the farm, but most of us live separately."

"Oh, okay." Historia picked at the lasagne. It was vegetarian, the meat being replaced by a significant amount of zucchini. 

"I'm sorry about your breakup," Armin said. 

Had the news of the Fritzes' departure really spread this far, out to Stromberg? Historia didn't like the idea of her personal life being discussed by strangers. She stared into the lasagne. 

"I heard through Eren," Armin added, as if he was reading her mind. Which he couldn't, Historia reminded herself, because apparently she was un-mind-readable. Another reminder of Ymir. "I know what it's like, to have to leave somebody really close to you. So if you want to talk-"

"Oh, I'm fine," Historia said. She smiled, trying to be convincing. Armin smiled as well, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. 

They said no more of the subject, as the meal progressed. Eren introduced Historia to other members of his commune; there were a handful of married het couples, each of them happy and in love. There were a couple of singles too, and they seemed just as happy. One of the couples that couldn't have been more than five years older than them had a baby. The thought of having a child that young made Historia squirm. 

\--

_I really like Eren. He doesn't expect me to talk about Ymir, and hanging around him makes me... happy. I think we're friends now. His family keeps trying to hook me up with Mikasa, though. Nothing against her, but I'm not ready for another relationship yet. Say hi to the family for me._

\--

Spending time with Eren seemed to bring some joy back into Historia's life. She started taking care of herself again, and talking with her friends. 

Eren and Historia sat together in the cab of her truck, driving through the thick forest between their towns. They'd decided to go to the beach that day. Truth be told, Historia hadn't been since that day she'd been with her school friends and Eren had told her about his family's stories. Before she'd found out about Ymir and her family's vampirism.

"It's super boring hanging around at home," Eren was saying. "Everyone else is busy with... work and stuff. And they're always treating me like a kid! Mikasa basically wraps me up in bubble wrap, acting like I can't handle myself! She's only a month older than me, but because she went through - puberty - first, she acts like I'm a baby."

Historia nodded. "It's kinda like with you-know-who and I," she said. Except, of course, without the paranormal elements. 

"Yeah, there's some differences. But basically." Eren crossed his arms and stared out the window.

They drove out of the woods. The cliff face came into view. Several figures stood on top, pushing each other around. Eren groaned when he saw them.

"Who's that?" Historia asked. 

"Jerks from school," Eren said, rolling his eyes. "Pieces of shit."

One of them pushed another, and they fell. Historia slammed a foot on the break.

"What the hell?" She exclaimed.

"Hey, they're alright, they're fine," Eren said, trying to calm her down. "They're cliff diving. We all do it. For the adrenaline."

Historia blinked. "The adrenaline."

"Yeah. I mean, Levi says he knows someone who cracked their head open on the rocks, but I think he made that story up to scare us from jumping. He'd probably skin me if he knew I'd done it."

Calmed down, Historia parked the car in the beach's carpark. The wind was blowing hard, the clouds grey overhead. 

"It might rain soon," Eren remarked.

 _Perfect weather for Vampire Baseball._ But Historia didn't say that, because she was the only person in town at the moment who knew what Vampire Baseball was.

"Hmm." Historia carried the rolled up beach towel under her arm. "Have you ever been to a proper beach?" She asked.

"No, I've never left the area." Eren was carrying a surfboard. "Like I said, Levi doesn't let me out of his sight, and Mikasa isn't much better."

"So, you're just locked up here?" Historia asked. Eren kicked at the sand with his foot. "That's not fair."

"Hey, Ackerman!"

A shout caught them off-guard. A soaking wet boy their age emerged from the water with what was possibly the worst haircut Historia had ever seen. It was disgusting. A crime against humanity. Like a rat's nest. She hoped it was just because of the water. 

At the sight of the rat's nest boy, Eren scowled. "What the hell do you want?"

Rat Boy grinned. "Did your girlfriend come around?"

Eren's scowl deepened. "Fuck off, Forster."

"Is this one of the guys you told me about?" Historia asked. "From your school?"

Rat Boy smiled at Historia while Eren seethed. "Floch Forster. Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

He held out a hand for Historia to shake, which she stared at. Floch sounded like the guys who bragged about "turning" girls straight. 

"I just remembered that I left my phone in the car," Historia said, dragging Eren back to the carpark. She gave Floch an insincere smile, then turned.

"Transphobic piece of rat's-nest looking garbage," Eren grumbled when they were out of earshot. 

"Transphobic?" Historia got back in her car, starting the engine.

"He treats Armin like he's the fucking Antichrist!" Eren exclaimed. "Because _obviously_ Armin is a fakey-faker who's making shit up for "attention" even though he literally hates people talking about him and tried to go stealth when he moved here god I just want to punch that bastard in his stupid eyes-" Eren paused his rant to look at Historia's puzzled expression. "Shit. Sorry. I shouldn't have outed him that was a shitty thing to do-"

Historia put a hand on Eren's arm. "It's okay. It's not me you need to apologise to."

"Yeah," Eren nodded, breathing. "Yeah, I fucked up."

Historia shrugged. "I guess you did. I'm sure he'll forgive you."

Armin eventually did forgive Eren, when they talked about the encounter later that night. It wasn't the way Armin wanted to let Historia know he was trans, but he was glad that she was accepting. He joked about being one of the lucky ones who could pass easily, having, as Eren had butted in and phrased it, "early tit yeet". That caused the three of them to burst out laughing, Armin apparently never having heard top surgery referred to in that way before. 

It wasn't until Historia was home that she realised that Armin was the same age as them. She wasn't sure if it was legal for a 17 year old to get top surgery. Maybe with parental permission?

Yeah, Armin must have had parental permission or something.


	8. Movie Magic Isn't The Only Type Of Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren starts acting strange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so I'm going camping again tomorrow so I won't update until the 20th. Sorry for the longer time between updates but that's just how life is.

"So," Connie said, as Historia sat with her friends at lunch the next day, "I was thinking we should do something together as a group. We haven't done anything since the beach last year."

"There's a sequel to that movie we watched last year on," Marco said. " _College and Monsters_. Remember that?"

"Yeah, I remember that it was really _bad_ ," Jean said. "Who wrote that, a 14 year old? How did it even get a sequel?"

While the two not-quite-boyfriends bickered about the movie they'd watched together, the other three continued talking.

"There was a movie that was like, about reincarnation or something," Sasha said, through a mouthful of food. "Like, one person was reincarnated and she falls in love with the descendant of her lover from the past life, but there's a government conspiracy and that. At least, that's what the trailer was like."

"I think I saw that," Historia said. "It looks sad."

"And sappy. We'll have to go in couples, and-" Connie stopped, remembering that Historia was there. "We can just go as a group. We don't have to make it romantic."

"No, you guys can pair up," she said. "I'll - I'll invite a friend."

Jean and Marco had stopped bickering in time for them to hear the last part.

"So it'll be us five, plus whoever Historia's bringing? Cool, fine. So long as we don't go to _College and Monsters._ "

\--

Marco had to go to a church event that night, and Sasha caught salmonella, and Connie stayed with her to make sure she was okay.

"So it's just us," Jean said. Historia nodded with a smile. Jean stared at Eren, who was standing behind her with his arms crossed. "You and me and... your friend."

"Yeah, let's go!" Historia pulled Eren behind her into the cinema, not noticing Eren and Jean's tension.

The movie was... alright. Not bad, not great, but fun. Historia had certainly seen worse. Plus, neither of the leads died at the end. Jean had left them for the bathroom as soon as they got out of the theatre, saying that he felt unwell.

Historia took a selfie in the foyer, tagging it with _at the movies with @panicromanceboy and @Pastel_Magdalene_06 !_

"That's a good photo," Eren said, leaning over her shoulder to see.

"Heck yeah it is," Historia said. "We look good together."

He rolled his eyes playfully, punching her on the arm. 

"So, there's this dance at my school next week, if you wanted to come with me to go as friends, that'd be fun," Eren said. 

Historia smiled. "That'd be so fun! Eren, I'd love to be your friend-date to your dance."

"Great," Eren said, matching Historia's smile. "Do you want to go and get ice cream after this?"

"Of course," she said. "There's this place I know that does excellent sundaes-"

_"Historia..."_

That was Ymir's voice again. Historia blinked, trying to search for her. 

Jean came out of the bathroom then, wiping his hands on his trousers. "I can't believe they don't have hand dryers in there," he said with a laugh. 

"And what took you so long?" Eren asked. Historia looked at him and saw the angered look in his eye. 

_"Get out of there,"_ Ymir's voice said again. _"It's not safe."_

"Eren, are you alright?" Historia asked, ignoring the voice. 

"I was tucking my shirt in, don't get so mad," Jean said. This didn't make Eren back down, only seeming to make him angrier. 

_"Historia you need to leave now-"_

"Eren, stop!" Historia grabbed his arm and he spun around to look at her. There was a glint in his eye that scared her, which faded quickly. Eren blinked, and looked around him in fear.

"I'm sorry," he said, taking his arm away from Historia. "I need to go home."

"Eren, what's wrong?" Historia asked. She followed him towards the door, putting her hand on his arm again, but quickly recoiled. "You're burning up..."

"I know, I know. I have a fever," Eren said. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He left the cinema, walking off down the street before Historia could say anything else. 

"I guess we aren't getting ice cream," Historia said quietly.

\--

Eren didn't call Historia the next day. Nor the day after. He was totally silent for an entire week. She tried calling the Ackermans' house, but everyone who answered said that Eren was too sick to talk. 

"Kenny thinks it's the same thing Mikasa had," Uri said when Historia spoke to him about it. 

"But that was a year ago," Historia said. Uri just shrugged, and continued watching the news report. _Bear sightings increase, hikers urged to stay home._

Historia thought about how Ymir had described her brothers' hunting styles. Like bears. 

\--

_I think there's something really wrong with Eren. He was acting strange all night when we were out. I don't think it's just a regular fever. I'm going around to his house tomorrow to check things out for myself._

\--

That afternoon, after school, Historia drove down to the Ackermans' house. Rain stormed down, making the roads slippery. Historia had to focus on the road even more than usual, which was hard since she was preoccupied with Eren's mystery illness. She pulled up outside the house, alongside all the other cars. She got out, went to the door, and knocked angrily. 

"Hello? It's me, Historia. I just want to talk."

The door opened before she could knock again. Levi stood on the other side, annoyed. 

"He's sick. Go home."

"I just want to talk," Historia repeated. Levi wasn't hearing it, and tried to shut the door. Historia put her foot between the door and the frame, wedging it open.

"Who is it?"

Historia looked behind Levi to see Eren standing on the stairs, and nearly gasped. He looked awful - bags under his eyes, hair unbrushed, skin pale. 

"What the hell?" She asked. Levi took advantage of her shock to shove her out of the doorway, and lock the door shut.

"God damn it!" Historia shouted. She stood back up, and drove off.


	9. Human Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia visits the baseball field, and encounters something unusual - even for her.

Historia drove down the highway in anger. She was pissed off. Eren was sick, but clearly well enough to be out of bed. Why couldn't Historia talk to him? Maybe it was because of his family's strict rules. They never let him leave the state, so maybe they were the sort of people to take away his phone whenever they were mildly annoyed at him. 

She stopped outside of her house, and sat in the car, still fuming. Tears started welling in her eyes, and she pulled out her phone to compose an email to Reiner.

_I don't know what to do. Eren's family won't let me see him, and I keep wanting to go back to you guys but you aren't there. Can you please just answer me? So I know you guys were real?_

Historia sent the email, and shoved her phone back in her pocket. When she looked out the windscreen she saw that somebody was standing outside her house. Marco waved at her, smiling despite the rain.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Historia said, getting out of the car. She unlocked the door and let Marco inside. 

"That's okay. I wasn't waiting too long. You just didn't pick up your calculus homework, so I came to drop it off," Marco said. He put a small stack of papers on the bench. "Sorry I couldn't make it to the movies the other day."

"Oh, that's fine," Historia said. "You didn't miss out on much. You know, the back door's open, you're always welcome to come inside if it's raining. Do you want a drink?"

Marco shook his head. "No, I need to go back home. My mom's making dinner tonight."

"Okay, then," Historia said, waving Marco off as he left. The encounter left her feeling slightly better. 

Not _entirely_ better, though. 

The rest of the week passed, as did the rainstorm. Historia's bad mood, however, did not leave with them. Eren still hadn't called her back. 

Laying in bed that afternoon, having finished her homework, Historia decided to go into the woods. She knew where she was going - the clearing that the Fritzes used for Vampire Baseball. 

The hike took an hour, and Historia was greeted by dead, brown grass. Perhaps the storms that frequently hit the town didn't reach up here. 

A leather-coloured object caught her attention, resting under a tree. Historia walked closer and picked it up; it was a baseball glove, presumably left here when they had been attacked by the rogue vampires last year. 

Suddenly Historia felt incredibly unsafe. The last time she had been out here, they'd been attacked and Historia had nearly died. But that time Historia hadn't been alone. This time, there was nobody else with her, nobody who knew she was even up here. 

She spun around, and saw a tall figure on the other side of the field. A tall woman with waist-length blonde hair, a motorbike jacket, and no shoes. 

"Helma," Historia whispered. The vampire was in front of her in a second, smiling.

"Hello. It's a shame the Fritzes left, isn't it? I'm surprised they left their pet behind." Helma's voice was playful, but there was a malice beneath. 

"Yeah, it's a shame." 

Helma grinned, showing her sharp teeth. "Do they visit you often?"

Historia opened her mouth, preparing to speak, but Ymir's voice stopped her.

_"Lie to her."_

"Yeah," Historia said. "All the time."

Why did Ymir - if this really was Ymir, and not a manifestation of Historia's conscious - want her to lie to Helma? Helma had been the one to help them when Irine had started the hunt.

_"Lie better."_

"I'll tell them you stopped by," Historia said, adding a smile for extra measure. "I'd better leave, my parents need me home soon-"

"But your lover is far away, isn't she?" Helma asked, and Historia knew what her game was. _She's going to kill me._

"Why are you here?" Historia asked, changing the subject. She didn't want Helma to know she was scared. 

Helma put her hands on her hips. "I came as a favour for Jakob. He wanted me to see if you were still being protected by the Fritzes. You see, Ymir killed his mate - and now he wants revenge. That's the way of the world, dear."

 _"Don't run,"_ Ymir's voice said. _"Stand your ground. She's faster than you."_

"They'll know what you did," Historia said. "When they come back, they'll know it was you who killed me and they'll come after you."

 _"Oh that's a good one! Babe, I'm so proud of you, keep bluffing."_

Historia smiled at the compliment, then banished it. She was supposed to be mad at Ymir. 

"But would they?" Helma said, inching towards Historia. "How could they love you, if they left you here?"

Historia's eyes widened. Crap. Helma had called her bluff. 

Helma smiled again. "You know, Jakob won't like it if I kill you. But it would be a mercy. I won't kill you as slowly as he plans to."

Every inch of Historia's body was telling her to run, but she thought of Ymir's words. Vampires were fast, faster than humans. There was no way she could escape Helma without a car or another vampire. 

Helma came uncomfortably close, leaning down to Historia's neck. She held her in place with her stone-cold hands, partially to stop her from running, partially so she wouldn't fall over. Historia closed her eyes, silently begging for _someone_ to help her - please, please can Ymir be following me like last time?

And Helma snapped up straight. "No," she breathed. 

Historia opened her eyes to see what had caught Helma's attention. She was looking towards the treeline, at some movement. Slowly, a massive black wolf showed itself. The thing was bigger than anything she'd ever seen before. It bared its teeth, a growl emerging from its throat. Behind it, a handful of other wolves - all different colours, all slightly larger than the first - flanked it. 

There was a look of recognition on Helma's face, as if she knew these wolves personally. Historia felt the vampire lift her hold, and watched as Helma sprinted away. The head wolf took chase, its pack following. 

One of the wolves, a chestnut brown colour, stopped in front of Historia. It looked at her, with its vibrant green eyes. They were off-putting. Not like the eyes a wolf should have. 

They were human eyes. 

The brown wolf followed its leader in the pursuit of Helma, and Historia took the opportunity to run back in the direction of her house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> help me out here what would be a good name for the Eclipse au fic


	10. Platonic Bed-Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia has a talk with Eren.

Historia slammed the back door shut as she got home. 

"Uri!" She called out, hoping her uncle was home. He was, just sitting at the kitchen table with Kenny and looking at her like she'd just told him she'd seen an alien abduction. "I saw them. In the woods. They're not bears, they're wolves. _Massive_ wolves."

"What are you talking about?" Uri asked, visibly confused. "What were you doing out in the woods?"

Historia caught her breath. While she was unable to talk, Kenny started laughing.

"Listen to you! Wolves the size of bears? Uri, I reckon your niece's been smokin' something she shouldn't've."

"No, I saw them. There were - six. Six wolves. They were after... something."

She decided not to tell her uncle that she'd nearly been killed in the woods. She figured that would only get her grounded. 

Kenny made a face that said he thought she was crazy, but Historia sent him a glare. Did he know too? Was that why he was making such an effort to make her sound mad?

"Well, I guess I'd better put together some of the guys, we'll look for these _wolves_ ," Kenny said, standing up and putting his hat on. "Don't want 'em hurtin' the hikers or anythin'."

He walked past, leaving the house. Historia wanted to tell him to be careful, but the way he'd phrased it made it sound like he _was_ in on the secret. 

She worried all night, even when she was supposed to be asleep. Jakob was after her. Was he watching her now? Was he waiting for Historia to step outside, then pounce?

At least, Historia knew, Jakob couldn't attack her inside the house. He didn't have permission to enter. Unless he asked Uri to come in...

The doorbell rang downstairs, and Historia froze with fear. What if that was Jakob now? 

She could hear the door opening, and sighed in relief when she realised that it couldn't be Jakob, or any vampire. Soon there was a knocking on her bedroom door, and Historia stood up to open it. 

Eren stood on the other side, looking absolutely exhausted but nowhere near as emancipated as he had been the last time Historia had seen him. He also didn't have a shirt. 

"Eren, oh my god, it's been ages," Historia said, wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her back.

"I'm sorry I couldn't talk to you," he said quietly. "Pushing you away wasn't my idea."

"I guessed that," Historia said, head pressed against his chest. "Thanks for saving me back there."

Eren detached from the hug, moving to sit down on Historia's bed. "Was it really that obvious it was me?"

"Honestly, I was just guessing then," Historia said. She smiled. "So, are any of my friends human?"

Eren rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. Probably glad he didn't have to tell Historia about being a werewolf. "Technically we _are_ humans."

"How many other members of your family are werewolves?" Historia asked.

"You remember when everyone came around for dinner?" A nod. "Pretty much everyone there's one."

"Wow," Historia said. "That's a lot of werewolves."

"Yup." Eren made himself more comfortable on the bed. "Barely any of us are biologically related. Most seek us out after they get turned, because there isn't anywhere for them to go."

"I'm guessing your mystery illness had something to do with this as well, right?" Historia came over and sat down next to him.

"The process of turning into a werewolf for the first time is painful," Eren answered. "They were all worried I wouldn't turn without being bitten, since I was adopted, but I did!"

"That's good," Historia said. She leaned back, laying down on the bed. Eren did so as well. "Well, maybe it's good. I'm guessing it's good."

"It is. Now my sisters can't hold it over me. Maybe I'll start getting treated like an adult, too." 

Historia laughed, causing Eren to laugh as well. 

"So, how many other types of, well, "monsters" exist?" Historia asked, fingers intertwined with Eren's. "I'm not calling you a monster, that's just... supernatural beings, is what I mean."

"Well, that guy we saved you from? In the woods?" Eren turned over to look her in the eye. "He... he was a vampire."

Historia was surprised, but then remembered that nobody else knew that she knew about vampires. "Oh. I didn't know that," she said. 

"Of course. Grandpa Ackerman's stories about monsters were real."

Historia had no doubt that they were. Eren had told her a story about his great-great grandfather encountering a coven of vampires implied to be the Fritzes. Wait - if Eren knew about vampires, then did that mean he knew about Ymir's family? Levi seemed to know, given how opposed he was to Historia dating Ymir. Would he have told his kids?

"Do you think anyone else in town is like that?" Historia asked. "Like, a vampire."

"Why do you ask?" Eren said, a concerned glint in his eye. 

"Oh, you know. Curiosity." Historia shrugged. 

"I don't know. Levi doesn't tell us anything more than he needs to. Even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you."

"That's fair," Historia said. Eren kicked at the carpet. "I guess you're still mad at Levi for "treating you like a kid"?"

Eren sighed yet again. "Yeah. It's better now that I've hit wolf-puberty, but I'm still coddled. I hate it."

"Do you want to stay the night?" Historia asked. "Unless you're needed back home or anything."

"That'd be nice," Eren said with a smile. "I haven't had a sleepover in ages."

"Neither. Do you need to call Levi?"

Eren shook his head. "He knows I'm here."

"Okay then," Historia said, getting off the bed to get changed into pyjamas in the upstairs bathroom. Eren was only in his boxers when she came out. 

"Do you want me to sleep on the chair?" Eren asked, pointing at the chair by the window where Historia had spend most of her time after Ymir had left. 

"We can share the bed, that's fine," Historia said. Eren blinked, and nodded, moving over so there was enough room for the both of them. She sat down next to him, and turned off the bedside lamp.

"Hey, Historia?" Eren asked. 

"Yeah?"

"If I was straight, I think I'd date you."

"If I was straight, I'd date you too."


	11. An Explanation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia learns more about the Ackerman family's abilities.

_So, did you guys know about the Ackermans being werewolves, or were you just going to let me find that out myself?_

Historia woke up earlier than Eren the next morning. She had to detangle herself from his arms before getting up, but didn't mind. It was nice sleeping in the same bed as someone. She quietly got dressed and composed an email to Reiner. Undoubtedly, they probably had just forgotten to tell her that her _uncle's boyfriend's family were werewolves._

There was a sharp knock on the front door that finally made Eren wake up. 

"Was' happenin'?" He slurred, rubbing at his eyes. 

"Someone knocked on the door," Historia said, standing up. "You stay here, I'll get it."

She ran downstairs to the front door, and opened it. Levi Ackerman stood on the other side, fury blazing in his eyes. 

Oh, shit.

\--

Eren had come downstairs a few moments later, and, promising he would call Uri later, Levi drove them both to his place. 

"So," he said, voice dripping with ice. "I assume Eren's told you everything about our family."

"I, um..." Historia was at a loss for words. She looked at Eren, who was in the same boat.

"Yeah. But she guessed, technically," Eren rushed out. "And she's a family friend so it wouldn't be fair to not tell her."

"Well, once you know about one type of monster, it's hardly a surprise when you learn about another," Levi said. 

"What?" Eren asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Go on, Historia. Tell him your secret."

Eren looked at her, confused. "What-"

"I know that the Fritzes are vampires," Historia said slowly. "I've known for ages."

Eren's eyes widened, and he looked to the front seat where Levi was. "The Fritzes are _vampires_?"

Historia could see Levi roll his eyes in the rear-view mirror. "I'd be more concerned with the fact that your best friend has been dating a vampire since last year."

Eren took a concerned look at Historia, who put her hands in her lap. 

"I'm sorry for not telling you," she said.

"You could have died!" Eren shouted. "What if they got hungry, huh? What if they turned on you?"

"Well, you could hurt me too!" Historia shouted back.

"Both of you, shut up," Levi said. He stopped the car in front of his house, and got out. The kids followed him.

Inside the house, Mikasa and Ash were sitting at the kitchen table. Both looked semi-formal, which was odd considering that Ash was sixteen and had blue hair. 

"Where's everyone else?" Levi asked. Ash shrugged, and Mikasa gave him a glare. 

"You said a family meeting. We're the family."

Levi blinked. "I mean, the other people who live in this house. Who, by pack rules, count as "family" when I say family meeting."

"Well, everyone's out," Ash said with a shrug. "Everyone except-"

The kitchen door slammed open, and somebody else entered. Tall, androgynous, a pair of broken glasses perched on their messy hair. They were grinning wildly and everyone else in the room looked exhausted. 

"Hey Levi, hey kids, I heard there was a family meeting?" They said quickly. "Also, I can't find my glasses. Why's Armin here, isn't he supposed to be out?"

Levi gave them a bored glare. "They're on your head, four eyes," he said, venom in his voice.

They picked up the glasses on their head. "So they are. Ha!" They laughed, and blinked as they adjusted their glasses. "Oh, you're not Armin."

Historia shook her head. "No."

"Hanji, this is Eren's friend, Historia. The one who's dating the vampire," Levi explained. He turned back to Historia. "That's my crackhead housemate Hanji. Don't listen to them."

"Can we just get to the point already?" Mikasa asked. "We have things to discuss."

"Exactly," Levi said flatly. He glared at Eren and Historia, who sat down at the table. "Historia, you're in danger."

"Oh, I know," Historia said, quickly. Her mind wandered back to Helma in the forest, and she suddenly remembered the wolves who had rescued her the other day. 

"We killed that vampire, but it's not over for you yet," Levi continued. "There's still that brown-haired boy. He's feeding on hikers in the area."

Historia's heart started beating harder. 

"And we need to make sure that you don't spill anything to anyone else," Mikasa said. 

Historia nodded. She'd been keeping the vampire secret since last year, she could keep the werewolf secret as well. 

"We need you to promise," Levi said, saying each word carefully. "Nobody can know about us."

"I promise," Historia said. "I promise I won't tell anyone that you're werewolves."

Levi stared at her for a second, making her uncomfortable, before standing up. "Alright."

The pressure eased. Levi turned now to Eren. "And _you_ need to stop telling strangers our secrets."

"Well I wasn't just going to lie to her!" Eren exclaimed. "She's my friend!"

Eren's outburst quietened everyone else at the table. Mikasa's eyes widened in concern for her brother, and Ash looked at Historia with the same look she'd seen her siblings give each other when one of them got in a fight with their parents. Hanji took a step back, as though they had not expected to be caught in the family crossfire. Finally deciding to do something, Mikasa took Historia's wrist and stood up. 

"We're going outside," she said. Historia awkwardly waved as Mikasa dragged her out of the house. 

"So you guys... you're werewolves?" Historia asked, trying to make conversation. Mikasa didn't answer her. 

"Historia. I need you to understand that we aren't monsters. We don't kill people - we barely even kill animals. But we do kill vampires."

"Please don't-"

"Don't worry," Mikasa said, straightening her back, "we can't kill the Fritzes, even if we wanted to. The treaty forbids us from doing that."

Historia wondered what the treaty entailed, but she stayed silent. 

"That brown-haired vampire is next on our list. I promise we'll keep you safe." Mikasa placed a hand on Historia's shoulder, and looked into her eyes. 

"Thank you," Historia said quietly, nodding. They both looked through the kitchen window, where Eren was being grilled by Levi. 

"We're going to talk about how to keep you safe," Mikasa continued. "It seems like the vampires are hunting you."

"They are," Historia said. "Ymir killed Jakob's girlfriend, so he's going to kill hers. Me."

She shrugged, trying to appear unbothered. 

"Well, we'll kill him first. We're faster than vampires. They won't stand a chance."


	12. Cliff Diving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren takes Historia cliff diving. It doesn't go well.

The Ackermans' plan to keep Historia not-dead was relatively mundane - house arrest. Historia faked an illness that kept her from going to school, where she was vulnerable. The only places Historia was safe were homes, since Jakob didn't have permission to enter them. 

However, this life was horribly boring. There wasn't much on Netflix. She quickly finished reading her book, and tried out some activities. Origami was fun and gave the house some nice decorations, baking produced tasty goods, and braiding bracelets made cute jewellery. Historia thought she'd give it to Ymir - but then remembered that they were broken up and would probably never see each other again, and Historia was discouraged again. 

Then the doorbell rang, distracting Historia from her funk. She got up and looked through the window, relieved to see it was Eren. She opened the door.

"So, you found Jakob?" She asked. 

Eren shrugged. "I'm not allowed to go on the hunts. But, I'm allowed to look after you, so... wanna hang out or something?"

 _Oh, thank god._ Historia was itching to get out of the house. Her school friends had offered to come around, but, not wanting to put them in trouble, Historia had declined. 

"Do you want to come in?" Historia asked. "I have cookies."

Eren peered inside. "Sounds nice, but I was thinking about someplace else. You remember when we went to the beach?" 

Ugh, that had been when they'd encountered Floch. "Yeah, I remember."

"I was thinking we could try cliff diving. It's always safer with a buddy, and I know all the safe spots. It'll be fun." He smiled, and Historia knew that she couldn't deny it.

"Okay, I'll get changed," Historia said, then ran upstairs to get ready.

In less than ten minutes she was back downstairs and the two friends were in the front seat of Historia's truck. "So, what are the tips?" She asked, nervous and excited all at the same time. "How do I survive the jump?"

"Well, you want to hit the water feet first, in a straight line. Actually, toes first, specifically. And don't do flips! They can screw up your entry and I don't want to explain to anyone if you get a broken spine."

"Broken spine?" Historia questioned. 

Eren waved her off. "We'll start low. The cliffs aren't too high, and since I know the are we'll be safe."

"Oh. Okay." Historia continued driving through the woodlands until they came out near the beach. She parked her car in the carpark. They didn't take the path down to the beach however, instead going into the bush, on a homemade track. Historia wished she'd worn shoes, but she'd left them in the car since you weren't supposed to wear them when you dived. Eren, who was equally as shoe-less, didn't seem to mind. But he'd been doing this with his family almost his entire life, right? So of course he wouldn't mind. 

"First time hiking?" Eren called out. He was in front of Historia by a lot, but he hung back so she could catch up. "Aren't gay people supposed to be fast walkers?"

"It's not my fault I have tiny legs," Historia said playfully. "And you know I'm not used to walking barefoot, you bastard."

"Need me to carry you?" He asked with a laugh. With mock offence, Historia gently hit his arm - but the action only ended up making her hand hurt.

"Ow," she said. Eren immediately dropped his playful demeanour and took her hand to look at it.

"Do you think it's broken?" He asked. "Sorry. Wolf skin."

"No, no, it's fine, it just stings," Historia said. "We'll be okay. Though I don't suppose you could carry me on your back..?"

She raised a playful eyebrow, and Eren hoisted her up onto his shoulders, to much nervous laughter. "Wow, you're strong," she noted. 

"It's the wolf strength," Eren explained. "Strength and hard skin. There's more too, probably, but it doesn't matter now. Come on, let's go."

Historia held on to his hands for balance as they climbed the trail to the optimal diving place. Eventually they came out of the bush. Wow. What a view. Historia could see all the way out to sea. The sky was grey, and it looked like it might rain soon, but they had a while before that happened. 

"So, do you want to go first so I can look out for you, or I go first so you can see what to do?" Eren asked as he let Historia get down from his shoulders. 

_"Historia,"_ Ymir's voice warned. _"Don't do it."_

Historia ignored the voice. She had Eren to look out for her. 

"I'll go first," she said. "So I just... jump in?"

"Pretty much," Eren said.

 _"Historia, please."_ There was a pleading in Ymir's voice. It made Historia's heart hurt, but she brushed it aside. _"It's not safe."_

_I don't care._

"Unless you don't want to," Eren said. "If you want to go back-"

Historia jumped off the cliff mid-sentence. She laughed on the way down, trying to comprehend the joint feelings of terror and joy. Adrenaline seared through her. 

And when she hit the water, she laughed again. She was fine. She was living.

Until the wave swept her under.

In the distance, Historia could see something. There weren't sharks here, right? Eren wouldn't have taken her somewhere there were sharks.

No, it was not a shark. It was a person, swimming towards her. Brown hair. Eren? No. Lighter skin. _Jakob._

No. No. Historia struggled, trying to get away from the vampire, but hit her head on the rock wall behind her.

She didn't think it would end like this.


	13. Pack Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia survives the fall, and Eren brings her back to the Ackerman house for a pack meeting.

_"Historia. Historia!"_

Somebody was calling her name from far away. Historia still felt like she was underwater. Was she dead? No. She opened her eyes. 

Ymir. Ymir was holding her, smiling as she woke up - 

And then it wasn't. Historia threw up the water in her throat, and looked up. Eren was the one standing over her, on the beach.

"Oh shit, you're alive, thank you," he said, eyes full of tears as he rolled her over to her side. "I thought you were..."

"I thought I was dead too," HIstoria mumbled. She coughed up more water, which burned her throat as she did so. She sat up, Eren rubbing her back. "I saw... Jakob. He was there."

"Shit," Eren cursed. He helped Historia up, putting her arm around his shoulder, and they walked towards the carpark. He helped her sit on the passenger seat, and wrapped his jacket around her to keep her warm. He pulled his phone out of the pocket, and checked it. Historia watched as his face melted into one of horror.

"What's wrong?" Historia asked quietly, her throat still sore.

"Like, five missed calls from Mikasa," Eren said. "And three texts."

He went around to the driver's side of the truck and got in. Historia pulled her keys out of her bag at her feet and passed them to him. 

"I think something happened, I'm needed back at the house. She doesn't say what in the messages but she sounds urgent." Eren started the car, and pulled out violently. "I'm sorry," he said about the sudden movement. Historia held up her thumb, since she wasn't sure if she could speak. Eren got the message. 

They soon arrived back at the Ackermans' property. Several other cars were parked outside the house, and Historia braced herself for a crowded room. 

"The whole pack's here," Eren noted. He held Historia's hand and together, they entered the house. 

It was every bit as crowded as Historia had expected. Several familiar faces were gathered in the entry hall, a few nodding at the two of them.

"Eren," Hanji said. They looked worried. "Levi's upstairs."

"Is he okay?" Eren asked, squeezing Historia's hand tightly. She squeezed back. 

"He's fine, it's about Erwin."

"Erwin?" Eren asked. He turned to Historia to explain. "Basically the closest thing we have to an alpha. What's wrong?"

Hanji took off their glasses. "The vampire took a bite out of his arm. We had to amputate it, but we don't know if he'll make it." 

Eren's eyes grew wider with every word, and when Hanji had finished he pulled Historia upstairs. 

Standing on the landing, the rest of the Ackerman family was gathered outside a door. Ash was sitting on a chair hugging her knees, Mikasa was tugging at her scarf, and Levi was leaning against a wall, staring at a point in the distance.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Eren asked. 

"He's doing fine," a deep voice said. They all looked to the door, where a man stood. This man had an apron on over his clothes and looked incredibly exhausted, so Historia guessed he was a doctor or nurse. "Had to amputate the arm, but he's stable now thanks to the speed healing. Should be awake in a couple hours."

Levi closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the wall. "Thank you," he said quietly. The doctor man nodded, and pulled off the rubber gloves he had on as he left.

Ash stood up. "I'll tell everyone else the news."

She left the hall, giving Eren and Historia a nod of acknowledgement as she went past. 

"Are you alright?" Mikasa asked, close and inspecting Historia. "You look scared."

"Jakob's nearby," Eren said. "We went out and Jakob almost got to her."

"You left the house?" Levi now came over, arms crossed. There was a cold anger in his voice and eyes. 

"Eren was with me," Historia said quickly. "He was protecting me."

"Eren, you _know_ you can't go near the vampires," Levi said. He sounded frustrated, as if he'd gone over this point too many times. 

"Why? I can take it on, I'm not some defenceless kid anymore!" Eren shouted. 

Mikasa reached out, shocked by his outburst. "Eren..."

"No! Leave me alone." He stormed off, Mikasa following after him to make sure he was okay.

With Eren now gone, Historia turned to Levi for answers. He put his head in his hands, and sighed. 

"Next time you go out, make sure there's more of us with you," he said. Historia nodded.

"I will. But why? Why can't Eren protect me on his own?"

Levi met her eyes, that bored look on his face but clear pain beneath. It was the pain of somebody who'd lost people before. 

"Has he ever told you about his mother?" 

Historia shook her head. 

"Good." And, without explaining any more, Levi walked away. 

Not wanting to stand around in an empty hall anymore, Historia went downstairs, where the pack was gathered. She scanned the crowd for someone she knew, and was relieved when she saw Armin. He waved her over, and she made her way through the crowd to stand by him. 

"Hey," she said. He smiled. 

"Historia. I'm glad you're okay," he said. 

"I'm glad I'm okay too," Historia replied. "Eren stormed off earlier."

Armin sighed. "Annoyed at being kept safe?"

"He thinks you don't believe in him. Or, that his family doesn't believe in him." Historia thought. "Are you- are you a part of his family?"

"I mean, kinda?" Armin shrugged. "I'm not an Ackerman, if you're asking. I live with Petra and Oluo, since I, uh, ran away."

He noticed Historia's confusion, and continued. "I didn't want my grandpa to have a heart attack from seeing his grandson turn into a wolf, so I ran away to find the pack and, they took me in."

"And what about your grandpa?" Historia asked, concerned. 

"Oh, he knows I'm alive," Armin said. "And... I think he suspects I'm a werewolf. But he understands that I can't come back. And I think he's made peace with that."

"Oh." Historia looked to the window, where Eren and Mikasa were arguing outside. "I'm sorry about your grandpa. That you... can't see him again."

"That's okay," Armin said. "I've made my peace with it too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for disappearing for so long, I've just been really distracted by other stuff and also found my old 3ds so I started playing Ocarina of Time again, which is great because it's a fun game, but also not great because it takes time away from writing. Anyway I'm starting school again tomorrow so I'm pushing the update schedule back to once a week.


	14. The Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia gets a visitor.

Eren was in trouble, absolutely. Apparently he'd been grounded for eternity. But he'd been allowed to drop Historia home that night.

"I don't know how I'm going to manage without you," Historia said as Eren parked outside her house. "You still have your phone, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Eren said. "Maybe I can ask to stay at your place or something."

Historia smiled. "Thanks for the ride home," she said, opening the car door.

"Wait!" Eren cried, urgency in his voice.

Historia closed the door. "What's wrong?"

Eren gripped the steering wheel, staring at the silver car in front of them. Historia could see a look of malice in his eyes. "There are vampires near."

"What?" Historia's heart hammered, then she saw the car as well. "Oh my god, that's the Fritzes' car."

She jumped out of the car, Eren following her.

"It's a trick," Eren said. "Jakob would've stolen a car and made it look like it's them but it isn't, it can't be."

Historia stood as tall as she could, back straight. "I'll take that risk."

She made a run for the door. "Wait," Eren called again. She stopped. He looked distraught. "Historia, I can't help you. I'm not allowed near the vampires, you know it."

She looked into his pained eyes. But Ymir was back, and she was here, and Historia's heart longed to see her again after so much time.

"I'm sorry," Historia said, before slamming her front door shut. Now inside, where the vampires couldn't get, she ran to the back door. And sure enough, waiting outside in the back garden was-

"Reiner?" Historia asked. He looked like a mess. He looked the way a human did after missed sleep or a hangover. Before even greeting her, he enveloped her in a hug - it was like hugging a marble statue, but surprisingly that aspect was not distracting. It was him, the brother she'd gotten along with, and he was real, which meant that Ymir was real too and the months she and her had dated were not just a dream.

"Did you get my emails?" Historia asked.

"What emails?" Reiner broke off the hug, holding Historia at arm's length. "No, I saw you drowning in the water, and I thought you were dead so I came down here to make sure - thank g- I'm so glad you're alive. How did you survive?"

"Eren pulled me out," she said, and then remembered that Reiner hadn't read the emails she'd sent him and wouldn't know about their friendship. "He's a guy. And just a friend."

Reiner nodded, relieved, then patted her shoulder.

"Does- do the others know? Are they here?" Historia asked.

Reiner shook his head. "No. I told Bert I thought you were in danger and had to check up on you, but nobody else knows I even left." He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown out of its close-cropped style.

"Do you want... no, you guys don't drink anything. Sorry," Historia said. "Do you want to sit down?" She offered instead.

"Thanks," Reiner said, going to the living room and collapsing on the couch in there. Not a second later though, he sat up, alert. "What the hell is that? Smells like... wet dog?"

Historia blanked. Shit. "That'd be Eren," she said. "He's kind of a werewolf."

Reiner looked at her, disappointed. "Seriously? A werewolf? Ymir told you not to do anything reckless and you go and make friends with a _werewolf_."

At his comments, Historia felt herself get angry. "Being a werewolf doesn't turn you into a mindless beast," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Oh, that's rich coming from _you_."

Historia whipped around, still-wet hair smacking her in the face. Eren stood behind her, arms folded and an angered scowl on his face.

"Eren, I thought you weren't supposed to come near the vampires," Historia asked.

"Yeah, well, I've broken enough rules today. And I know _he_ won't hurt me, the treaty forbids it." Eren glared at Reiner, who simply looked puzzled.

"Do I know you?" He asked. He shook his head. "Look. I'm not going to hurt her either. Like you said, the treaty forbids it."

"No, I'm talking about the _other_ vampire that's hunting her because of you," Eren spat. Technically, now Historia thought about it, it was the Fritzes' fault Jakob was after her. But she didn't hold it against them.

"Jakob?" Reiner asked, still puzzled. "I didn't see him. Come to think, I didn't see you get pulled out of the water, either." He stood up, and his brotherly persona dropped. Historia stepped back, instinctively. "I couldn't see through him and his pack of mutts."

Eren uncrossed his arms, and clenched his fists. "Say that again, I dare you."

"Okay, that's enough!" Historia said. She stood in between her two friends, hands out. "Both of you. Reiner, leave him alone. Eren, control your temper."

Reiner stood down. "I'll give you two some space."

He went towards the door, the tension lightening.

"Hey, Reiner? You aren't - _leaving_ leaving, right?"

He shook his head. "I'll be back when you put the dog out," he said with his usual friendly smile, barely masking his malice.

When he was gone, Eren turned his attention back to Historia. "Are the others here? How long are they staying?"

"It's just Reiner," Historia said, holding her hands in front of her for verbal defence. "And he can stay as long as he needs."

She went into the kitchen, running her fingers through her hair. Eren followed. "He's a dick."

"He's normally nice," Historia said.

"Yeah, well he called my family mutts. How can you defend that? This isn't like, an opinion, like, pineapple and pizza, this is my family he's talking about. The people who took me in when my own parents didn't want me. How can you hang out with someone like that?"

The were tears in Eren's eyes. He tried to blink them back. Historia tried to think of a way to excuse Reiner's remark, but came up with nothing. Nothing good, anyway.

"I'll talk to him about it. Maybe he can... maybe he can learn?"

Eren swallowed. "Yeah. Maybe." But his tone was still angered.

The phone on the kitchen wall started ringing. Eren answered it.

"Hello?" He looked confused. "No, go away."

The caller said something, but Eren wasn't listening. He hung up midsentence.

"Who was it?" Historia asked.

"Just some prank call, I guess," Eren said.

Historia nodded, but the explanation wasn't sitting right with her. Then, the door was hit by a flurry of violent knocks. Historia went over to answer it, revealing Reiner, looking even more distressed.

"What's wrong?" Historia asked.

"It's Ymir," Reiner said. "She thinks you're dead - Bertholt told her you were in danger and she called, but didn't get an answer and she thinks you're dead, and she's going to the sisters - she's going to try and kill herself."

"What?" Surely she hadn't heard right. Ymir wouldn't do that. She'd mocked Romeo for being so melodramatic, she wouldn't do that.

"Look, we have to stop her," Reiner said.

Historia turned over her shoulder to see Eren who looked just as shocked as Historia.

"If I'd known it was her, I wouldn't have - I would have stayed on," he said. Historia pushed past to go upstairs, not waking her uncle. She dug through her drawer to get her passport and ran back downstairs to Reiner. He nodded, and then he was outside in the car, backing out of the driveway. Historia followed him.

"Historia, wait," Eren said. "You can't just leave the country, what about your uncle?"

"Tell him I had to sort something out with Ymir, and if he asks when I'll be back say Monday morning," Historia said. She got into the passenger seat. Eren put his hands over the downed window.

"She left you, Historia," Eren said. "She broke your heart."

Historia looked her friend in his eyes. "Which is why I'm going to fix this," she said. Reiner pressed the close window button, and Eren took his hands away just in time as the car screeched away at an illegal speed.


	15. Rush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhh sorry for taking so long to update I just have a big workload with school... anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

"We're on the 11 PM flight to Italy," Reiner said as soon as he reached the counter. The lady behind it stared down at them from behind her glasses. He handed over their passports and showed his phone, which had the receipt for their tickets on it. Historia had bought them on the way to the airport.

"Family emergency," Historia said, which was partly true. The woman scanned their tickets, checked their passports and let them through. 

"Be quick, we're boarding soon."

They both nodded, and rushed through security. The guards found nothing wrong with their phones or Historia's purse, nor with the plastic party sunglasses Reiner had with him. Then they boarded the plane, and Historia gripped Reiner's hand so hard she was scared she'd break it. She'd flown before, but this flight was especially turbulent and the combined anxieties of saving Ymir were _not_ helping. 

"You look like you're going to throw up," Reiner said.

"I _feel_ like I'm going to throw up."

Reiner passed Historia a sick bag, and she took it with a grateful smile. Reiner was not smiling, however, equally as scared for Ymir. 

"Shouldn't we call the others to help?" Historia asked.

Reiner shook his head. "No. If the Sisters try and hurt Ymir, then the family will fight them. You can't win against the Sisters and their guard. If they hurt Bertholt..."

He gripped the side of the chair. Historia didn't need him to finish to understand.

"You ate before you left, right?" Historia asked. She she felt as if Reiner snapping and draining another passenger's blood would just be the cherry on top of a _perfect_ week.

"Yeah, yeah," Reiner said, looking around at their fellow travellers with a look that could only be described as longing. 

When the plane landed, the two went straight to a car left in the car park. Reiner pulled a thin metal rod out of his pocket and unlocked it.

"This isn't your car, is it?" Historia asked. She got in the car anyway.

"I figured you wouldn't be opposed to grand theft auto," Reiner said as he played with the wires under the wheel. 

"No, I guess not," Historia said. She did her seatbelt up, and relaxed in the seat. It was comfortable, this car was Fancy with a capital F. "We'll put it back, right?"

Reiner shrugged as he pulled the car out, and sped along the highway. The tinted windows prevented the sun from coming in and making Reiner's skin shine. 

"So, uh, you really upset Eren back there," Historia said. "Don't call people mutts."

Reiner just shrugged again. "I dunno. He's a werewolf Historia, he's dangerous."

"Well, so are you guys," Historia said. "Plus, it's dehumanising. You wouldn't want to be called a monster."

Reiner looked like he might argue, but blinked, listening to what she'd said. "Okay, I guess not," he said, barely sure of himself. Then his face blanked, and the car swerved, and Historia shouted and when Reiner got ahold of himself he pulled over.

"What happened? Another vision?"

"They've denied her request," Reiner said. "They won't kill her, because they find her power useful." He made a face. "They'll try and recruit her into the guard or something, probably use your death to manipulate her."

"So she's okay?" Historia asked. Reiner turned to her, fear in his eyes.

"No," he said. "No, because now she's going to reveal herself to the humans and _make_ the sisters kill her."

"What?" Historia breathed. She felt sick. That was infinitely worse.

"She's going to wait until midday, when the sun's at its highest," Reiner said.

Historia checked her phone. 11:26. They still had time.

"How fast can you drive this thing?" She asked. Reiner grinned, pushed in the clutch, and they sped off. The town soon came into view, buildings behind sandstone walls. People lined the streets, red-cloaked and jumping out of the way angrily as Reiner weaved through them. He'd had to slow down since they were in a residential area. 11:53. Seven minutes. 

"What's with the cloaks?" Historia asked. 

"Saint Helos's Day parade," Reiner explained. "Celebrating the expulsion of vampires from the country. Ironic, since, you know, this is like the Vampire Vatican."

"Yeah," Historia said awkwardly. She really couldn't find the humour in the statement right now. They only had seven minutes - six now. Reiner slammed on the brakes so he didn't hit a police officer. 

"Historia, go to her," he said as the officer tapped on the window.

"Go? But what about you, aren't you coming?"

"Ymir can see me coming, that'll make her reveal herself faster. But you're blank, you're the only one who can stop her. She's under the clock tower in the chapel, if you run you can meet her."

Historia slid out of the car, running under the arm of the police officer. Her heart leapt into her throat, beating hard as she ran. She pushed past the townsfolk, searching desperately for the clock tower. Four minutes. She was running out of time. Three minutes. She sprinted around a corner, and saw the top of a clock tower. Two minutes. The tower was across the courtyard, which was filled with cloaked celebrators. Historia stood on her tip toes, trying to see over the crowd, and her heart leapt when she saw the top of someone's head standing directly beneath the tower. _Ymir_. 

One minute. Historia pushed her way through the crowd, ignoring the pissed-off looks of the people she was running past. She had to get to the chapel, she had to stop Ymir. Now closer to the chapel, Historia could see that it _was_ in fact Ymir - however, she looked resigned, passionless. Of course. She thought Historia was dead. 

Historia wanted nothing more than to scream, to call out Ymir's name, but she could not. Physically, because she could not find her voice, and logically, because that would draw more attention to her.

And then the bell started chiming. Midday. It distracted Historia for a second, then her heart sank. Ymir undid the buttons on her shirt, discarding it. 

Her brain being taken over by the single thought, _stop her_ , Historia took off. She sprinted towards Ymir, pushing herself harder than she ever had before. 

And she was close, so close to Ymir, close enough to touch her, and she did. She used the entire force of her tiny body to knock Ymir to the ground and therefore out of the sun.

"Ymir, Ymir please don't," Historia said. Ymir had opened her eyes, and was staring at Historia in disbelief. Historia stared back, taking in every part of Ymir's face, her freckles, her eyes, the astonished look.

"Is this heaven?" Ymir asked quietly. 

Historia shook her head. "No, it's me," she said. 

Ymir didn't look like she believed her. She reached up a hand to brush Historia's hair back and look at her. 

"It really is you," Ymir breathed. Tears filled her eyes and she started crying, but laughing at the same time. She ran her hands over Historia's face and sat up. "I thought you were dead, Historia."

"I can't believe you were going to get yourself executed," Historia said. She tried to keep her voice stern, but her voice cracked and she started to cry as well. Ymir smiled tearily, and kissed the top of Historia's head.

"You don't need to cry now," Ymir said. "I'm alive. And so are you. Historia, I love you."

The words only made Historia cry harder. She buried her face into Ymir's shoulder and cry-laughed, the way Ymir had. "I love you too," she said. It was muffled, but Ymir knew what she'd said. "Don't leave me again."

"I won't," Ymir said. "I thought I was keeping you safe."

Historia lifted her head up, smiling sadly. "And we talk to each other from now on, right? No more running away."

"Of course," Ymir said. She and Historia both leaned in to kiss each other, and just as Historia could feel the cold taste of Ymir's lips, she pulled away. Historia stared at her, feeling betrayed, but then saw _why_.

"The Sisters wish to speak with you," a woman said. Her face was blank, but Historia could tell she was a vampire. 

"You should go and enjoy the rest of the festival," Ymir said. Historia nodded, standing up. 

"No," the vampire woman said. "The Sisters want to see your pet human as well."


	16. Sisters Three

Ymir and Historia followed the vampire woman through the halls of the chapel, hand in hand. Another guard joined them, pulling Reiner along by the arm. He smiled and nodded at his sister and friend.

"He "saved" me from the cops," Reiner said. "Good to see you're alive."

Ymir raised her eyebrows. "However long that lasts," she said. Historia gripped her hand tighter.

The guard that had escorted Reiner passed a red cloak, presumably from the festival, to Ymir. She took it and covered herself - vampires didn't feel the cold, but there was etiquette involved in meeting royalty. It generally wasn't appropriate to show up in only a bra.

The three of them were escorted to an elevator. An odd design choice, but better perhaps than stairs.

The elevator took them upstairs, to the top floor of the chapel. With a cheery _ding_ , the doors opened and the guards took them down another hall. A smiling receptionist waved at the party as they passed, and went back to her phone call.

"Is she human?" Historia asked.

"Yep," Ymir said.

"And does she... know?"

"Right again."

They met eyes, and Ymir's grim look told her everything she needed to know.

"And she'll become a vampire?"

"Or dessert," the lady guard said dryly. The other guard muffled a laugh, and Historia's blood ran cold. They came to an ornate double door, and the guards stood on both sides, pushing them open.

Beyond the doors was a large throne room - for that was one of the only ways to describe it. The ceiling was high and dome-shaped, with paintings all over them, not unlike Michelangelo's in the Sistine chapel. However, a closer look revealed that the paintings depicted gruesome events. Lots of blood and burning.

Three high-backed black chairs sat on the other side of the room, perhaps marble. In the chairs sat three young women - no, young girls. The three were preteens, with impossibly smooth pale skin and red eyes.

"She _is_ alive," the sister in the middle said. She sounded surprised. A smile played at her lips, and she stood. She walked down the steps of her throne. Historia was surprised to see that she was about the same height as she was. Ymir instinctively stepped in front of Historia.

The sister took Ymir's hand, her smile turning into a slight frown.

"How can you stand to be so close to her?" She asked.

"It's hard," Ymir said. "It's very hard."

"Sina can read every thought you've ever had with a single touch," Reiner whispered, for context. Historia nodded.

"And now you know everything," Ymir said.

"Indeed." Sina let go of Ymir's hand, and turned instead to Historia. "So, she has not been able to read a single one of your thoughts. Could we see if you are immune to all of our powers?"

She held out her hand. Historia put hers forward, and she grabbed it. A look of confusion crossed her face, then she grinned.

"You truly are a blank slate," Sina said. "Not a single thought."

Historia wasn't sure if she should be thankful or offended.

"I wonder..." Sina looked over to one of the vampire guards. The guard stepped forward, and stared intently at Historia. Ymir gasped and stepped in front of her, then started writhing in pain. The guard in question just smirked.

"Stop!" Historia called out. She herself was not in physical pain, but seeing Ymir get tortured was as bad as that.

At her shout, the guard released Ymir, who collapsed to the ground. Historia moved to run to her side, but Reiner grabbed her arm. Sina, the other sisters, and the guards all turned to her. The guard with the pain ability glanced at Sina, who gave her a nod. Historia braced herself for the pain, but it never came.

When she opened her eyes (she hadn't remembered closing them, maybe it had been on instinct), she saw the faces of everyone else in the room. The guard looked surprised, almost angry. Sina was curious, her sisters concerned. Ymir had stood up shakily, and was furiously side-eyeing Sina.

"She knows too much," the sister said. "She's a human. It's against the rules for a human to know about our existence. You know what happens now."

And, as she saw the cold glares of the other vampires, Historia knew what they were going to do.

She thought that maybe, there would be at least a year before her next near-death experience.

A guard lunged for her, hands outstretched, and Historia ducked out of the way just in time. She fell to the cold marble floor, thankful that its smooth surface didn't leave any cuts or scrapes. From her place on the ground, she saw Ymir tackle the guard to the ground as well. The impact made a loud crack in the floor, one that startled Historia enough for her to stand up. In her distracted state, she didn't notice the other guard sneak up beside her and grab her wrist. She gasped.

"No!" Ymir shouted. The guard made a move to pin her down as well.

So it really was the end. This was how Historia would die.

"Wait!"

All eyes went to Reiner. Historia noticed Ymir send him a glare, probably annoyed that he hadn't stepped in sooner. But there seemed to be a reason for his inaction, as he was holding his head the same way he did after a vision.

"She will become a vampire," Reiner said. "I've seen it. In a vision."

The sisters seemed to murmur amongst themselves. Sina stepped forward, holding her hand out. Reiner gave her his, so she could see the vision too. They stood like that for a while, Historia's heart beating so hard she could hear it herself. And then-

"Oh, of course." Sina stepped away, and motioned for the guards to let the girls go. They were released, and Ymir took this time to run to Historia, taking her hand. The cold of it was welcoming.

"It will be interesting seeing your abilities develop in the future, Historia," Sina said, in a voice that made her shudder. It was still unnerving seeing what was essentially an adult in a child's body. "You can leave now, but we'll keep a close eye on you all."

That was an invitation to leave. Frowning at Sina and the other sisters, Ymir put a hand on Historia's back and guided her out, Reiner following them. They did not talk until they were well out of the chapel, too afraid that it was all a joke and they would be ambushed and killed anyway.

It wasn't until they were out of the city, in the back of a taxi Reiner had hailed, that Ymir started laughing. Reiner looked at her like she was crazy, and Historia looked up from where her head was resting against Ymir's shoulder to see what was so funny.

"We are gonna be _so_ grounded," she said, and Historia started laughing as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this feels rushed but whatever! I'm tired. on the plus side I've finished prewriting all the chapters for the fic so expect more frequent updates!


	17. The Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Historia and Ymir come back home.

The plane trip back to Paradis seemed to be shorter than the one before. Perhaps it was because Ymir was safe, and the stress was gone.

Ymir and Historia sat next to each other on the plane, Historia curled into her side, and drawing circles on her stony skin. Ymir was running her hands through Historia's hair, untangling the knots. There was a movie playing, _25 Reasons I Love You,_ or something like that. A thriller about a woman escaping her abusive rich boyfriend. The boyfriend had a serious Oedipus complex, planting himself in BDSM communities so he could seduce and then torture women who looked like his mother. It was easy for Historia to focus on the movie, because if she didn't then her mind would wander to the meeting with the Sisters and its outcome. Ymir definitely didn't want to talk about it, because she had always been against turning Historia from the beginning.

It was early morning when they arrived at the airport, and they had a welcoming party waiting for them. Well, not all of them seemed as welcoming as Bertholt did. He was at Reiner's side in a moment, long arms around him in an embrace. They whispered to each other, things that Historia felt were probably private.

Dina stared at them disappointedly, arms crossed, but dropped that pose and hugged Ymir once she saw her.

"I hope you know that you're grounded for a year," she said.

"Yup, I know," Ymir said, trying to get her mother off her back. When Dina relented, Ymir took a step back. She nodded, and the kids followed her to the car. Annie sat in the back, annoyed look on her face.

"Sit on the floor so there's room for Historia," Reiner said as he and Bertholt climbed into the backseat. Annie sneered at him.

"That won't be necessary," Historia said quickly, not wanting to ruin her relationship with Annie any further. "I can just, uh-"

"You sit in the front, and I'll sit in the back," Ymir said, guiding Historia to the passenger side door. Sure enough, Annie sat on the floor while her siblings tormented her from the seat, and Historia got out as soon as the car got to her house. She could hear the Fritzes fighting for the front seat, and smiled.

"Thanks for the lift," she called out.

"No problem."

Historia jumped, not expecting Ymir to be behind her. Damn that stupid silent vampire girlfriend. 

"So, are we still a thing?" Ymir asked. Her hands were shoved in her pockets, and as she said it she looked at the ground.

"I guess we are," Historia shrugged. "Promise you won't leave me like that again?"

"I don't know, promise you won't handle my leaving like that again?" Ymir asked, eyebrow raised.

"I was handling it just fine, thank you," Historia said in mock offence that was only half mock. She _had_ been handling Ymir's disappearance fine, all things considering.

"What, do you call jumping off a cliff "fine"?"

"You tried to kill yourself because you saw me cliff diving! Who are you to get up my ass about handling things?" Historia laughed.

"Well Reiner didn't see you get out of the water!" Ymir said in defence of herself.

Historia remembered something. "Also, weren't you making fun of Romeo for attempting suicide after his girlfriend died?"

That was the ticket. Ymir glared at her, trying to hide a smile. "Damn you, Historia."

The car horn beeped, snapping the girls out of their daze.

"I need to go," Ymir said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at the car. "Gotta get home. We're staying for good this time. I mean, especially if you..."

She trailed off. Historia knew what she was talking about. It was the thing that both excited and scared her at once.

"Hey, Ymir," Historia said. Ymir stopped, and listened. "If Uri doesn't kill me, or ground me until I die, do you maybe want to - to see a movie or something?"

"Yeah," Ymir said. She didn't try and hide her smile that time. "I'd like that."

She turned back to the car, and climbed into the backseat again. "Later loser!" She called, making Historia laugh.

Her laughter faded when she heard the front door open, and a familiar voice say her name.

"Hey, Uri," she said as she spun around, putting a fake smile on her face. Her uncle had a disbelieving look on his face, which then became stern.

"You scared the hell out of me," he said, climbing down the steps. "What were you thinking, going to visit your sister without telling me?"

Historia blinked, confused for a second. "Did Eren tell you?"

Uri set his lips in a firm line. "Yes, because he doesn't _like_ to see his family worry about him."

"So I guess I'm grounded then-"

She was cut off, because Uri hugged her tight.

"Thank God you didn't fall down any stairs this time," he said. Historia nodded, wishing she could just tell him the truth. "Also, don't think you're getting off without discipline, young ma'am."

But Historia didn't mind having to clean the gutters for a month. She was just glad that she was alive, and Ymir was still here, and not dead. At least, not dead in _that_ way.

Later that day, Historia called Eren. She needed to apologise to him for running off, and thank him for making up an excuse.

 _"And what, you and Ymir are back together?"_ Eren asked. _"When you specifically said you were getting over her?"_

"We worked out our problems," Historia said. "We're gonna be communicating from now on. Eren, we can still be friends, if that's what you're worried about."

 _"No, I don't care about that,"_ he replied. _"It's just, this won't end well, Historia. She's a vampire. She could hurt you, and if she does, then..."_

He trailed off.

"What?" Historia asked. "What could happen?"

 _"The treaty is null if a vampire bites a human,"_ Eren explained. _"Then we, the pack, have to kill the vampires. It's the rules."_

Historia sat in silence, unsure of how to respond. "I'll be fine," she lied, and hung up.

If everything went as Reiner's vision had predicted, then Historia ran the risk of losing Eren's friendship.

She didn't want that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're nearly at the end of the fic my dudes!!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ymir doesn't want Historia to be a vampire. Historia does. Eren has his own shit to deal with.

It didn't take long for things to return to normal - as normal as you could be, when your girlfriend and her family were vampires and your best friend and his family were werewolves.

Ymir returned to school, as did Annie. Historia's relationship with her was still tense, but somehow better after the whole ordeal. Ymir was still broody, but she only managed to call Connie an idiot once in the last week, so she seemed to have softened up to the other humans. They spent a lot more time together at school, too, since Ymir was banned from Uri's house and Historia was grounded until the end of the year. They made the most of their lunch breaks, however.

It was Friday lunchtime, and Ymir and Historia were in the bathroom together, post-makeout. Historia was fixing her hair and re-applying her lip gloss in the mirror. Ymir leaned against a stall door, watching her. Historia had been surprised to find out that vampires _did_ show up in mirrors, as she could see Ymir looking at her from it. 

"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Ymir said.

"Only at least three times a day," Historia laughed. She thought for a second, then: "Do vampires need to wear lip gloss?"

Ymir stood up straight. "I don't know. And you don't need to know either!"

Historia spun around, confused. "You heard the sisters, though, didn't you? Sina said I have to be turned."

"The Sisters don't pay attention to everything we do," Ymir said. "It could be years before they remember. Vampire time is way different to mortal time. It'll be like, thirty years before we need to even worry about that."

"Thirty?" Historia exclaimed. That'd be old enough to look like Ymir's _mother_. 

"I'm not turning you before you get to live," Ymir said. "You really want to be stuck at 17 forever? Going back to high school again and again, never looking old enough to drink or get into a club?"

"Better than looking like a cougar," Historia retorted. 

Ymir furrowed her brows. "That's what you're worried about? That you'll look older than me?"

"It's not just that," Historia said, brushing hair out of her face. "What if the sisters come back before then? I have friends and family who'll be in their way. I don't want them..."

Ymir put her hands on Historia's shoulders. "Historia... I don't want this life for you."

"It's not your..." she trailed off again, a thought emerging. "I have an idea."

\--

It was raining that afternoon, and Historia drove back to Ymir's house with her. Annie sat in the back, trying to ignore the girlfriends' flirting. Ymir had called her family after Historia's proposition, and the idea had stuck. 

The other Fritzes were already home, sitting around the kitchen table. They were all wearing formal clothes, which made for a stark contrast against the clothes the girls had worn to school, which were wet from the rain. 

"Be seated," Dina said. Ymir and Annie were at the table in a blink, Ymir taking off her jacket. Historia moved to sit down at the other empty seat - as she did, the light went out overhead. 

"We are holding a vote, as per Historia's request. I say yes. I've met the sisters - I don't want them coming here to Paradis."

"I vote yes as well," Reiner said. He gave a wink. "I mean, I know it's going to happen eventually."

"No," Ymir said. That was all she said on the topic, having told Historia her reasoning countless times before. 

"I say no as well," said Annie. "I never had a choice. I wish there was someone to vote no for me."

All eyes now turned to Bertholt, the one person who had not yet spoken.

"I- I say yes. I didn't have a choice either, and if you choose that you want this, then we shouldn't stop you." He attempted a weak smile, which he quickly dropped and then stared at the table. Then, in a quieter voice: "Plus it'd be nice to hang around you without wanting to drain you like a capri sun."

He made eye contact with Ymir, who shrugged. "I don't know _what_ a capri sun is, just google it or whatever!"

Dina coughed discreetly, to bring attention back to her. "The votes have been cast. Three yeses. Historia, welcome to the family."

It was as if a great weight had been lifted off Historia's shoulders - and that there was now a great weight in her stomach as well. 

"Hell yeah, new sister!" Reiner said, standing up and walking around to give Historia a hug. The mood lightened, and Historia smiled and looked over the faces of her new vampire family. 

"I liked what you guys did with the light," Historia said, referring to the dramatic turning-off of it.

"What?" The Fritzes all looked up at it. 

"Oh, that's just broken," Bertholt said. "That wasn't deliberate."

\--

Ymir offered to take Historia home. 

"I mean, her uncle will be mad if she's late, so I'll drive her home," she'd said. 

They were sitting in Historia's car in near silence, Historia not wanting to look at Ymir because she _knew_ her girlfriend was upset and didn't want to see the heartbroken look in her eyes.

"So, I'm thinking that we wait until after graduation," Historia said. "I mean, I want to finish school first, and I've still got like a year and a half to tie up all the loose ends..."

She trailed off. She didn't want to have to leave her family behind - not Uri, not Frieda, not her other siblings or even her parents. 

"If you're dead-set on becoming a vampire," Ymir said lowly, "then I want to be the one to do it. If that's okay with you."

Historia kicked at a bit of gravel on the car's floor. "I'd like that."

There was more silence in the car, before Ymir swerved it. 

"Shit!" She yelled. Historia looked up in shock, then at the road. Ymir had swerved to avoid hitting something - or someone - who was standing in the middle.

"That was Eren," Historia said. She jumped out of the car, which had just been parked. 

Eren walked over to the side of the car, arms crossed. "Hey," he said in greeting. 

"Hi," Historia said. She smiled at him, partly to mask the decision she'd just made. Because it wasn't until just then that she remembered the treaty and how it would affect her relationship with Eren. 

"We need to talk," Eren said. His eyes flicked over to Ymir, then back to Historia. "Alone."

Ymir rolled her eyes. "He wants to tell you about his..." she trailed off, a frown creasing her brows. 

"About your what?" Historia asked, concerned. Eren turned away. 

"About my mother."

"Your mother?" Historia touched Eren's elbow, wanting him to tell her more. "She abandoned you, isn't that what you said? I'm... sorry, about that. My mother did the same."

"No, it's not that." Eren turned back around, tears glistening in his eyes. "Levi never told me. None of the adults did, because they wanted to keep me safe. And the reason for all of that, all of their protection..." 

He made eye contact with Ymir, glaring. She read his mind, and finished his thought. 

"The reason is because a vampire killed his mother."

All was silent for a moment, save for the chirping of a cicada. 

"I'm so sorry," Historia whispered. It all made sense now. Eren's family's protectiveness of him. Their distaste for Historia's relationship with Ymir. 

Shit. How would she tell Eren about the turning now? 

"Don't apologise," Eren said. "She's been dead for seventeen years. I never knew her."

"Whoever it was that killed her, they weren't one of ours," Ymir said. 

Eren stared at her. "Stop doing that," he shouted. "Get out of my head!"

Ymir shrugged. "Then stop thinking so loud."

Eren scowled at her, while Historia stared at the ground. She couldn't tell him. She couldn't. It would break him, to find out that his best friend was going to become one of the creatures that had taken the life of his mother.

So she wouldn't. She could just not tell him, right? There was still a little over a year before Historia could be turned, so Eren didn't have to know until then.

"Hey," Historia said, trying to distract Eren from his anger. "Do you want to come over tonight? Watch a movie or something?"

"Sure, I guess," Eren said. He crossed his arms and went to sit in the car. 

Graduation. That was when Historia would leave her human life. But until then, she was still alive.

So why not make the most of it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another fic down! I really loved writing this, and I hope you guys loved reading it too. the next part will be up soon, along with a oneshot in the universe. See you guys then!


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